How To Write List Posts That Get Thousands of Visitors

Authority websites get thousands of visitors every month…

… for FREE from Google.

If you want to turn your site into an Authority Site, you need lots of backlinks and lots of shares.

The best way to do it is to write list posts.

In this post, I will prove why and show you how to do it the right way…

• What Are List Posts?
• How To Find Ideas for The Best List Posts?
• How To Write Your List Post?
• Tips To Make Sure Your Post Gets Read By Thousands of People

What Are List Posts?

A list post or listicle (list + article) is simply a compilation post. It could be a compilation of the best tips and tricks in your industry or the cutest puppy pictures.

People love to share list articles.

Here’s an example from the DigitalMarketer blog:

It works even in the Self-Help industry. Here’s an example:

See how many claps this article got?

The shares these posts get are only half the story.

If done right, a list post can get you hundreds of backlinks too.

The DigitalMarketer post that got 7,000 shares also received 2.6k backlinks from 251 referring domains:

With list posts, you not only get lots of shares but also lots of backlinks.

>> Make sure you read: 6 Easy Ways To Build Backlinks For A New Blog

Before you begin writing your first list post, remember this:

Most list posts don’t get any backlinks.

The reason why most list posts don’t get any backlinks is that they aren’t created the right way.

In this article, I will show you how writing list posts for your blog can become the easiest way to create Skyscraper Content that gets lots and lots of backlinks and shares.

We will not write a generic list post with 5-6 items. The goal is to create a list post that is THE BEST list post on the subject.

>> Check out this Step-By-Step Guide To Write High-Quality Content For Your Blog

How To Find Ideas for The Best List Posts

Simply creating more content and hoping it gets shares and backlinks is not a great strategy. Because it doesn’t work!

If you want to virtually guarantee that your list post gets shares and backlinks, you need to replicate the success of a similar post in your industry.

Here’s what I mean:

If a post called “5 Affiliate Marketing Tips” got lots of shares and links in your industry, you need to write a post that has at least double the number of tips.

But before you can do that, you need to find a list post that has already done well, so that you can replicate it.

Here’s how you can do it:

Using BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo is the easiest way to find the best of the best content in your niche/industry.

To find list posts that have worked in the past with BuzzSumo, simply enter the name of your niche and click the search button on the BuzzSumo website.

If you are in the weight loss niche, here’s what the results will look like:

As you can see, the second post got 200 thousand Facebook shares.

Popular Posts widget on other blogs in your niche

Just visit your competitors and check their sidebar. You will see all their most popular posts on a silver platter.

Here’s an example from the DigitalMarketer blog:

The first two of their most popular posts are List Posts.

How To Write Your List Post?

Once you know what topic you will write about, you need to actually write it.

If you don’t know anything about the subject, don’t worry. You don’t need to know anything. I will guide you through a process that will help you write list posts on any subject you wish:

Step 1: Compile Your List

Even if you are an expert on the topic you are writing about, you need to make sure you include all the points other writers have talked about.

Our goal isn’t to write just another list post article; it is to write the best damn list post on the internet. This won’t happen unless you make your list post longer than anything out there.

To make it easy for you to find list posts and list items, just search your topic in Google:

Now, go through every list post or video you see and compile a list of all the items you find. At this point, don’t worry about finding the best point. Just write down all the items that you see.

Step 2: Make Sure Your List is Longer

The purpose of writing a list article is to wow your audience and other bloggers in your industry.

You need to make sure your list is longer than any other out there.

If most of the other list posts on your topic have only 7 items, you need to write a post that has at least 14 items.

If you haven’t followed the previous step of finding and compiling list items for your post, this step will be really hard.

So, if you haven’t followed the previous step, go back right now and do it. It will save you a ton of time.

You are trying to create a resource people can bookmark and come back to again and again. And of course, share with their friends and followers.

This won’t happen unless you write THE BEST post on the topic.

For example, check out this post.

Step 3: Rewrite List Items In Your Own Words To Beat Writer’s Block

Unless you are an expert on the subject you are writing about, it will be really difficult for you to write the content. In that case, I recommend that you simply rewrite the list items you found on the Internet.

I am not talking about copying other people’s content word for word. If you do that, you will be plagiarising someone else’s content. Google doesn’t like that.

You have probably done it a hundred times in school before. Just read the tips in other articles and then write them in your own words.

It’s not unethical. Everyone on the Internet does it in one way or another. Even the Pro and Expert bloggers do it.

Step 4: Turn Your List Items Into Benefits To Hook Your Audience

Don’t write your list post items in a bland way.

Instead of writing “Eat Avacado In The Morning,” write something like “Eat Avacado In The Morning To Lose 25 Pounds In Only 15 Days.”

The rewrite above sounds much more interesting than the previously bland statement.

If you want your readers to read all your points and read your whole list, you need to make sure your list looks interesting.

You can do it by turning your list items into benefits like the above example.

Here are two more examples:

• “Automate Your Finances” becomes “Automate Your Finances To Save Money, Willpower, and Time.”
• “Find a Mentor” becomes “Find a Mentor To Speed Up Your Learning.”

Step 5: Don’t Make It Longer Than 25 Items

The more list items you add to your post, the less likely it will be that people read the whole thing. So it is advisable to limit your post to only 25 items. More than that is too much. No one will read a list that long.

A small list post with only 17 items looks interesting when you see it in your Facebook feed. But a list post with 53 items looks like something that will be difficult to read and will consume a lot of time.

The bottom line?

If you want people to read your posts, keep the number of items between 15 and 25.

Here is one example from my own blog. I listed down 25 strategies to find blog post ideas and see the success it got:

You got the point. Right?

Tips To Make Sure Your Post Gets Read By Thousands of People

Most people don’t get any shares or backlinks from the list posts they write. That is because they simply post it on their site and wish that people will magically find and read their post.

That’s not how it works.

You have to actively promote your post if you want it to get any traffic.

Here are some tips to make sure you get thousands of visitors from your hard work.

1. Name Drop Influencers In Your Industry

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

If you want other bloggers in your industry to share your posts, you need to give them some value in return.

The easiest way to do this is to mention their name in your article and link out to a related article they wrote.

For example, if a blogger named Adam in your niche writes an article on “How To Invest Wisely In Roth IRA,” and your list post on making more money includes a post about Roth IRA, link out to Adam’s article.

Now, once you publish your article, you can reach out to all influencers you mentioned and linked out to and ask them to share your post.

Here’s a simple email you can send:

2. Use Blogger Outreach To Guarantee Shares and Backlinks

Blogger outreach simply means reaching out to other bloggers in your industry and asking them for a share.

This is the best way to guarantee that you get lots and lots of shares and backlinks for all your posts.

Ahrefs’ post on blogger outreach is a step-by-step guide that you should follow to get thousands of visitors to your list post.

>> Must Read: How to Get Traffic From Quora – Ultimate Guide

Conclusion

Writing a list post is the easiest way to create Skyscraper Content that gets thousands of shares and hundreds of backlinks.

If you are just starting out in your niche, writing well-researched list posts is the best way to quickly become an authority in your niche.

I recommend publishing at least 5 well-researched list posts on your blog if you are a new player in the niche. This is the quickest way I know to become a top player in your niche without years of effort.

If you have any questions or feedback, leave a comment and let me know.

>> You might also like: 6-Step Formula To Write About Me Page For Your Blog (With Examples and Action Steps)

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